fhansen
Oldbie
Oh I won't disagree with this; it's based on classic theology in fact. But God still doesn't force us to love the light. The cross stands as an offering of light and love that we can navigate to as we become jaded by the offerings of the world. In fact, this very nonedenic world has as one if its purposes the experience-or knowledge-of evil, so that we'll be compelled to seek the good as we develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and then to accept the true Good when we see it.Good Day, Flansen
I think it is a little stronger than preferring darkness...
Jn 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God."
They love darkness and do so (loved) because of their deeds. They hate light and do not come to the light the hate drives them back to their true love. Those who come to light clearly show the work of God.
People will always choose that which they love as it represents their strongest desire and does so freely. They can do no other.
In Him,
Bill
Again, a matter of the will, drawn and coached by God but never overridden. Otherwise, as has been said, God may as well have simply stocked heaven with the elect and hell with the rest at the beginning, or prevented Adam from sinning to begin with, and avoided all the pain, suffering, and sin that resulted down through human history.
We're here to make a decision, having learned through struggle to run like Prodigals back to the goodness of the Father whom our original parents spurned. And then to continue to live better and better according to that decision throughout our lives.
And the definition of that light, of that justice and truth, is love. And as the ancient churches have always taught in one form or another, "At the evening of life we shall be judged on our love."
That's what faith is meant to lay the foundation for and to the extent that we understand this, we understand the gospel.
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